A groundbreaking 2013 Colorado law allows water rights owners to allocate water to a river during times of low flow. And now that law is being put to the test, reports National Geographic. The law is important because it challenges the old “use-it-or lose-it” rule of water conservation. This rule states that if anyone doesn’t use their water, the unused portion can be allocated to serve the needs of other users. The problem is, this rule actually encourages people to waste water rather than have it be re-allocated. And traditionally, keeping a river flowing for fish was not considered a “beneficial use” of water.
But now, a ranch owner is attempting to keep water in Colorado’s Willow Creek without the threat of the “use-it-or lose-it” rule. The additional water will help sustain fish and keep Willow Creek connected to the Colorado River.